Eddie Jones: England coach available to lead the British & Irish Lions in 2021

The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has revealed that England head coach Eddie Jones will be available to lead the British & Irish Lions on the tour of South Africa in 2021 - should they want to appoint him.

Jones yesterday announced that he has signed a two-year extension to his England contract, but the RFU would allow him to be released from the second year of his new deal if approached by the Lions.

RFU chief executive Steve Brown told The Times: “It wouldn’t prohibit him at all. Bear in mind that we’re a quarter-shareholder in the Lions and we’ll have some say in that too.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

“Our view in that would be that if we’re planning for success, and we’ve come out of a very successful World Cup [in 2019], and Eddie is the right coach for the Lions, the arrangement isn’t going to preclude that.”

Jones’s new deal will see him coach England until 2021. The RFU plans to appoint his successor in the 2019-20 season and for the new boss to work in the England set-up for a year before taking over in August 2021.

Since being appointed in 2015 Australian Jones has led England to a Six Nations title, a grand slam and 22 victories from 23 Test matches. He told the Times that the Lions role is “not a job you apply for”. He said: “You either get tapped on the shoulder or you don’t. I would see that as being consequential of coaching well.”

Despite the Lions speculation, Jones insists his focus is on England. He told the BBC: “The only thing I am worried about is winning the World Cup in 2019. If you win the World Cup, things tend to follow from that. [But] I wouldn’t be arrogant or presumptuous to think [the Lions] was a possibility.”

England name squad for Six Nations game against Italy

Eight uncapped players have been named in the England squad for the first Six Nations match against Italy on 4 February in Rome.

Included in the 35-man squad are Harlequins prop Lewis Boyce, Exeter prop Alec Hepburn, Newcastle flanker Gary Graham, Bath number eight Zach Mercer, Northampton full-back Harry Mallinder, Saracens winger Nathan Earle and Bath hooker Tom Dunn. Harlequins fly-half Marcus Smith is also included as an apprentice.

Nathan Hughes, Billy Vunipola and Lions winger Elliot Daly are missing due to injury while James Haskell and Joe Marler are banned.

“I have selected the strongest available squad to prepare for our opening match against Italy,” said Jones. “While we have a few players unavailable through injury or suspension, it has provided opportunity for others who will be desperate to be involved in the Italy game.”

England squad for Italy Six Nations game

Backs: Mike Brown (Harlequins), Nathan Earle (Saracens), Harry Mallinder (Northampton), Jonny May (Leicester Tigers), Denny Solomona (Sale Sharks), Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Danny Care (Harlequins), Owen Farrell (Saracens), George Ford (Leicester), Jonathan Joseph (Bath), Alex Lozowski (Saracens), Jack Nowell (Exeter), Henry Slade (Exeter), Ben Te’o (Worcester) Marcus Smith (Harlequins)**, Ben Youngs (Leicester)

Forwards: Gary Graham (Newcastle), Nick Isiekwe (Saracens), Maro Itoje (Saracens), George Kruis (Saracens), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Zach Mercer (Bath), Chris Robshaw (Harlequins), Sam Simmonds (Exeter), Sam Underhill (Bath Rugby), Lewis Boyce (Harlequins), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Tom Dunn (Bath), Jamie George (Saracens), Dylan Hartley (Northampton), Alec Hepburn (Exeter Chiefs), Kyle Sinckler (Harlequins), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)

** Apprentice player